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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · mouse · bowl · prune · wake · charge · straw · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. present — a gift
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — there
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — a trail
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com